John B. was born in Omaha, Nebraska. He was the eldest child of two, with six years between him and his brother, Tom. Their father served as an army physician in the Philippines, becoming a specialist in tropical diseases. He remembers his parents as loving and kind, and his father had a bellowing laugh. His mother loved to throw fancy parties and had the funniest sense of humor.
John worked as a lifeguard at the local pool and with the power company while growing up. He ultimately followed in his father’s footsteps by pursuing a medical degree. He attended several colleges: Cornell of Iowa for undergraduate, the University of Nebraska for medical school, and the University of Pennsylvania, Creighton University, and the University of Omaha for various summer classes.
Medical School & Marriage
The medical school fraternity John belonged to had Friday night parties, which girls studying nursing and X-ray tech attended. It was at one of those parties that he met his wife, Janet. She sat down next to him, and they started chatting—the rest is history. He later lost her number and had to obtain it from the hospital’s switchboard operator where she worked.
After earning his medical degree, John completed a year-long internship at Harkness Hospital in San Francisco, California. At the same time, he and Janet maintained a long-distance relationship before eventually getting married.
In 1970, John began working as a family practice physician in Coquille, Oregon. He loved visiting with his patients, especially his many senior patients, who would often bring him gifts like beef jerky and baked goods. He was a do-it-all doctor, and he sometimes even made house calls.
Heading to the Skies
John enlisted in the Air Force and served 20 years as a flight surgeon in the Air National Guard out of Portland. He had to attend special training at the Brooks Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. After becoming a flight surgeon, he served one weekend a month and had to travel five hours each way to get there, but he loved every minute of it. He enjoyed going up in the F16s and F18s, and the pilots sometimes made it their aim to try and make the flight surgeon sick. They only succeeded once with John. He enjoyed the camaraderie with the non-commissioned officers over the years.
Camping and Snow Skiing
John and his wife, Janet, have been married for 53 years and have two children, Matthew and Erin. When they were kids, he enjoyed taking them camping and snow skiing. They camped at Lake Siskiyou and Lake Shasta and later bought a cabin at Loon Lake. They went on trips to Canada, Mexico, Hawaii, and other various places in the United States.
Now, he enjoys shopping and kicking the tires with Erin. John is a big car guy who has collected exotic cars. He owned a Porsche Roadster, a 1964 red convertible Corvette, and a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300SL coop Roadster, to name a few. He also used to ride a motorcycle but ended up selling it because he saw too many accidents in his line of work.
Matthew is now a pharmacist in Eugene, Oregon, and Erin is an interior designer in California. Erin has two sons, Layton and Chase, and Matthew has one daughter, Drew. They are all teenagers, and they are super sweet. John loves their sense of humor, and they make him laugh a lot. He enjoys learning about their studies, and when they were younger, they bonded over John’s model trains.
From Ham Radio to Scuba Diving and Beyond
John has a passion for hobbies and has explored a wide variety of activities over the years. He has a knack for communication as an extra-class ham radio operator, though computers have often tested his patience. John’s adventurous spirit has led him to windsurfing and scuba diving, while his love for food makes dining out with his family a favorite pastime—especially when it comes to sushi. A dedicated Trekkie, John even knows a few words in Klingon and deeply appreciates science fiction, both on screen and in books. He’s never afraid to try new things and enjoys new experiences.
John has been living at Renaissance Village Murrieta for over a year and truly appreciates the care and attention he receives from his caregivers. He enjoys sharing laughs with them and values that the community is well-maintained. John often says his daughter made a great choice in finding this place for him, and they both love how kind and welcoming everyone is.
